Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer" is often styled a children's book, but adults can learn a thing or two from the irrepressible boy and his antics, more than enough to entrance children of all ages.

Hilton FloresGary Moore and his wife, Joan, perform for the crowd at the Richmondtown library during a Tom Sawyer and Mark Twain event sponsored by Staten Island OutLOUD and the Big Read.

That was the story yesterday at the Richmondtown branch of the New York Public Library, where Staten Island OutLOUD and The Big Read presented "Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer," replete with Tom's white picket fence, Twain lookalikes in dapper white suits and black bowlers, well-loved 19th-century songs, and children eager to "paint" the fence with their artwork.

With The Big Read, the National Endowment for the Arts aims to bring communities together to read, discuss and celebrate books from all over the world -- something Staten Island OutLOUD has been doing for years -- making it the perfect choice to host the event.

A photographer from National Public Radio was on hand to cover "Paint Tom's Fence," and the video will be posted on NPR's website.

Children rushed to tables filled with art materials where they could create works to fasten to the fence, in lieu of whitewash.

OutLOUD's graceful Beth Gorrie choreographed the event. With Gary Moore and Joan Moore on guitar and banjo and ukulele and Melodica, respectively, everyone chimed in on familiar songs like "Buffalo Gal" and "Oh, Susannah!" In period dress along with James Hall, Doris Nielsen, Michele Evans Arrindell and young Alexander Arrindell, they led readings from the book, with the part about Tom using a bit of psychology on his buddies to get them to take over whitewashing the fence, the audience favorite:

"He [Tom] had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it -- namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain."